In a region of average humidity a 4 ton central air conditioner unit may produce a half a gallon of condensate per hour. Capturing and reusing condensate is a responsible way to reuse a limited natural resource. Condensate has little mineral content, though it may contain bacterial contamination.
Bacterial contamination of condensate may be treated with a variety of equipment and methods. Grey-water treatment systems may use chlorine as a disinfectant. (See e.g. U.S. Patent Publication 20130284679 Bailin.) One alternative to chlorine is ozone, which has been shown to have a bactericidal effect on organisms. (See e.g. U.S. Patent Publication 20070189972 Chiba, “Chiba”.) Chiba teaches the formation of nanobubbles with a diameter of 1 μm or less, and states that the nanobubbles may persist in the bulk liquid for one or more months. Chiba, however, provides no apparatus or method for in situ treatment of condensate from climate control equipment, which is not sufficiently electrically conductive for the formation of persistent nanobubbles.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide for the in situ capture and treatment of condensate produced by climate control equipment. It is further an object of this invention to provide for the reuse of condensate by introducing minerals into the condensate that are beneficial for both its intended use and the formation of persistent ozone bubbles.